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Wisconsin recall rival slams Scott Walker

For Falk, it’s also no surprise that Walker will tie any Democratic contender, herself included, to unions.

“I think he is going to label whoever his opponent is with those kinds of what he believes are derogatory labels,” she said. “One of the reasons he is in deep political trouble is because he labels those he disagrees with and marginalizes them instead of working with them. He doesn’t talk to people, he doesn’t negotiate with people, he doesn’t work with people he doesn’t agree with. And you can’t be a leader that way.”

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It’s not the only aspect of Walker’s leadership qualities that Falk cites as troubling. Falk, who noted her path would sometimes cross with Walker when the two were county executives, said the ongoing John Doe investigation looking into whether some of the governor’s former staffers engaged in political activity on taxpayer time when he served as Milwaukee County executive casts a cloud over his current campaign and term in office.

On Jan. 5 the district attorney said it found that Tim Russell, who had been with Walker as a campaign and county aide since 2002 but did not get a job in the governor’s administration, and Kevin Kavanaugh, Walker’s appointee to the Milwaukee County Veterans Service Commission, stole funds intended for wounded vets and families of U.S. soldiers who died in Iraq and Afghanistan. And on Jan. 26, Kelly Rindfleisch and Darlene Wink, two former aides, were charged with engaging in campaign fundraising during work hours.

Falk slammed Walker for not publicly addressing the investigation and questioned how a manager could possibly be unaware of what his closest aides were up to during work hours.

“People are reserving final judgment as they ought to, but they are very dismayed,” she told POLITICO. “They are very troubled by this cloud surrounding Gov. Walker. It is very hard to understand because he has not publicly explained how he could have been in his office as county executive literally feet from his chosen staff, his high level ranking staff, who are accused of running a political campaign to foster his political future literally within a stone’s throw from his office without him knowing about it.”

“Or, if he didn’t know about it, what kind of manager does that make him?” she added. “No matter what angle you look at it from, people are very concerned and he has not been forthcoming about what he knew or when he knew about it. I am, like most people, disappointed and concerned about this cloud that hangs over him and will be looking to what the district attorney finds next or whom the district attorney charges next.”

Falk has already hit the ground running on her month-old campaign, traveling across the state and securing endorsements from major unions and organizations. If the recall goes ahead as expected, the election should come in late May or early June — and with such a short time frame, Falk says she’s laser-focused on locking up the Democratic nomination and then moving into the governor’s mansion.

“I’m running strong and hard. It’s why I announced I was running literally the day after the million signatures were announced,” she said. “I’m running a statewide campaign. I’m on the road a lot and have an A+ team running my campaign and advising me. This will be a very short election.”

Labeling.........yeah, that's fresh........that's all the Dems have is 'labeling' their opponents.

Major Nidal Hasan is a poor, misunderstood sufferer of Pre -PTSD (whatever that is) but all Tea Party members are terrorists...........got it.

Only a Union-worshipping Dem could describe balancing the state budget, getting the state out of the hole the Dems left it in, saving all the teacher's jobs and giving them true liberty by destroying the incestues relationship between the Public Unions and the Democratic Party as 'Ruining the State'.

What a looney.

And when Scott Walker bends the Dems over and wins the recall election it'll be the icing on the cake.

Just think.....First there were the Flee-Baggers, then they tried to use Judicial Activism to stop the budget bill, then they tried to win the Wisconsin Supreme Court (complete with low-life dirty tricks and lies) then the Senatoral recall elections in which tey fell short again........and now this.

All that time, $$$$$, and effort........all for nothing.

And the ejection of Obama from the White House will be the cherry on top....sweet!

The 2011-2013 plan passed by the now Republican-controlled legislature and passed signed into law by Governor Scott Walker on June 26, 2011 is remarkable in many aspects.

First, it does not raise taxes. While some credits for those with no income tax liability were modified, taxes were not raised in this budget*. No new income tax bracket to punish the successful as Gov. Doyle proposed. No increase in the garbage tax or the nursing home tax. No new tax on iPod downloads or job providers. Nothing.

Washington, are you paying attention?

Instead of passing on a structural deficit as has become standard operating procedure in Wisconsin for the past 16 years; this budget actually was projected to end in surplus.

The Governor and lawmakers solved the structural deficit not with dramatic increases in state bonding authority or questionable accounting gimmicks, but rather through austerity measures. Spending on programs was cut. Something unheard of in recent decades in Wisconsin.

When times are tough and credit is available it is always tempting to bond as a bridge to some ‘better times’ in the future. Yet, now our borrowing on the state’s credit card is down as well, almost 50% compared to the last budget.

The contrast between the two budgets is even more significant when you consider the 2009-2011 document benefited from the use of $3.4 in one time federal ‘stimulus’ funds, most of which went to ongoing spending programs.

This budget save Wisconsin taxpayers tens of billions of dollars in the next decade.

This is a dramatic change in direction from when school choice was on the defensive during the Jim Doyle era. Then Doyle and the teachers unions tried to prevent public online charter schools from using open enrollment, effectively shutting them down. When that was unsuccessful they capped enrollment just as they fought raising the caps on enrollment in the Milwaukee Choice Program.

These changes in the open enrollment law were a tremendous victory for supporters of public school choice in Wisconsin and the victory was the highlight of the annual “School Choice Week.”

Thanks to Recent Reforms, Merit Pay Coming to Some Wisconsin School Districts!

The Senate and Assembly Committees on Education held a joint hearing on Wednesday wherein they discussed the funding, design, and implementation of a program that would improve reading skills in Wisconsin’s public schools. The Read to Lead program took another step toward reality as the state’s efforts to reform K-12 education continue. Elements related to improving teacher performance through accountability in the Educator Effectiveness program were also discussed in relation to literacy in the classroom.

Read to Lead will enhance reading standards at an early age in the Badger State. It will set guidelines for stronger teacher training in literacy standards, early screening tests for Kindergarten students to identify children that need help, and intervention programs to get pupils that need help the most a step up. It is based off of a similar program in Florida that emphad reading by third grade and has helped spur significant improvements in the state.

Yes, it will be every bit as sweet as the Christine O'Donnell win you predicted.

But, Loretta, she did win....just ask Senator Castle..........oh, that's right..........he's Gone With The Wind...........see, I can be smarmy, too.

BTW - I've been right more than you've been wrong........now that's saying somethin'!

Personally, I'm all in favor of the Dems throwing their $$$$$ into the fire.......now that they can't funnel tax-payer money into the coffers of the Public Unions and the Democratic Party anymore (Thank You, Scott Walker) even they'll figure out in due time that they have to be frugal.......because they'll finally be spending thier own money instead of the tax-payers!

The MacIver Institute is funded by Koch and is paid to put out false information that supports the positions that Koch and is other conservatives want. Much of what is put out has a small kernel of truth covered in inches of misrepresentations. This is NOT an accurate news source.

First- Walker did not balance the budget. They have already declared twice that their budget did was not balanced and had to "find" 127 million last fall cutting more than 67 million more from the UW system, he told the Feds that there was a budget deficit, and the CBO has already stated there is a 147 million shortfall again for June. Walker did as many "funny" money shifts as Doyle, he just hid them better. He took most of the money out out the Medical and Professional Licensing Board to shore-up general budget, but I suppose that is alright as they also have changed the tort reform so the professionals that should be reprimanded or loose their license can't be sued.

The interesting thing to me is that when I talk with conservatives and we then trace back the money through the system, we agree on over 90% of the things that need to be done. But the issue is that this administration has purposely used their low information followers (I put mis-informed into this category as I do think that most are just too uneducated to realize the scam that has been pulled on them) to fan the fires. I also find it interesting that those who are the most ardent followers tend to be middle age and have high school degrees (some Bachelors and technical). Most when you get to the bottom of it are now scared about their future, but also do not want to go back and get more education. Many of these people had very lucky employment histories - but many would not be qualified to even apply for their jobs as they don't have the education credentials.

I would argue that the truth is in the middle- so read from all sources and LOOK for the middle.

I do not see Falk being the candidate as the conservatives are already spending and putting out misinformation about her. However, I do see Vinehout and others as being strong candidates that will be able to demonstrate how stupid Walker is. This is not just about collective bargaining- most people have concerns about unqualified political appointees, changes to environmental laws, education, local support to government, public safety, etc.

I do think that conservatives have a quandary on their hands with Walker's delays pushing this into late spring/summer . By that time, the majority of the public schools will have to have settled their budgets- as most have to have significant cuts to balance their budgets that even in conservative Elmbrook School District will have significant cuts- people will realize the truth about his budget. I do think it comes down to two sides- is he incompetent (many of his political appointee does support this position) or a felon? If I were a registered Republican, I would be fighting to place an alternative on the ballot as the party does not like the Lt. governor and she could end up being governor with the way that the investigation is moving.

If the citizens of Wisconsin want higher taxes and lower educational levels, then they are insane. Teachers' unions and public employee unions are both pigs. They will squeeze every last penny from the citizens of WI, until they kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. But, I have seen so many stupid voters, that nothing surprises me.

Walker also wants to remove Choice schools from having to give their scores. I still return to if you look at the countries that have the highest scores, their teachers also are paid in the top 5%. One of the main issues is that as a country we have siphoned off our top talent to "funny money" positions of finance instead of inventing and developing innovative products.

I am not against improving anything- I personally believe that we need to move to stronger Federal education policy as we currently have education being driven by the states is being taken over by Christian conservatives who are limiting our students ability to get a good education due to their beliefs- that is why Creationism is taught as a science instead of a religous belief.

OK, silly griffin. But you neglect to tell everyone that Unemployment has gone down for three straight months, currently at 7.1%. Obama would love to have that percentage. With Dems, 7.1% is bad, but 8,6% is good.

Since everyone will stand before God its a good thing to teach creationism. They can throw in the secular stuff too, but BOTH need to be presented and that's just not being done. You do know that unions were originally communist-leaning organizations -- which would explain their animosity to anything Christian.

When DC unions tried to stop DC's charter schools (which were a live saver to some 1800 kids), they spent a ton of money to oust Mayor Fenty who was allowing those schools. When quesionned about the loss to the kids in DC a union leader said he'd worry about the kids when they started paying dues. I heard the radio clip, the guy actually said this. This is how much unions worry about educating the kids.